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The wife of a Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament recently demonstrated the stark difference between the dominant values in Israeli Jewish society that those that have sadly taken hold in much of Palestinian society.

In a December 2 interview with Al-Aqsa TV, Umm Osama, wife of Hamas lawmaker Khalil Al-Hayya, stated that a woman's role is no less important than a man's in "Palestine" because it is the mother who "instills in her children the love of Jihad and martyrdom for the sake of Allah."

Umm Osama continued by noting that "Allah's reward is Paradise...[and] Paradise requires from us our blood."

When the interviewer agreed that "we want to die as martyrs," Umm Osama responded:

"Indeed we do. I am constantly praying: 'Allah, make the end of our days be in martyrdom.' I pray for this even for my husband and my children."

It has been repeatedly pointed out that while such attitudes make genuine, long-lasting peace nearly impossible by ensuring the next generation of Palestinian Arabs hate Israel, it is also a form of child abuse for which those like Umm Osama appear wholly unrepentant.

It would be terribly wrong to say that all Palestinians think this way, but it must also be remembered that a large majority of Palestinian voters put Hamas in power in the last general election in 2006.